Tag Archives: vacation

Post navigation

If your cat isn’t already spoiled enough, then the Trixie Pet Products My Kitty Darling Castle may be the perfect addition to your kitty’s kingdom. This beige and lilac plush-covered castle features a cozy condo, elevated platform with a removable bed, and sisal-wrapped scratching post. PetravelR™ knows that all cats consider themselves to be royalty, so why not a castle shaped kitty condo?

The castle is suitable for cats of all ages and activity levels. The posts are wrapped in natural sisal to satisfy your cat’s natural urge to scratch. A foil in the tower and a dangling toy helps keep your cats engaged and entertained. The top platform even has a removable ring-shaped bed and play blanket that can be used separately. The bed has a reversible cushion for added comfort (machine wash gentle). If a nap or place to hide is in order, your little princess can crawl inside the condo base which is covered with plush inside and out.

The Little Nell promises to pamper your four legged friend with luxury pet amenities. They’ll eat epicurean treats and enjoy selections from a special pet menu. They’ll walk them, sit them and guide you to pet friendly trails. The hotel also supplies bowls and beds, and even a Puppy Jet Lag Kit to help them get used to the altitude in Aspen. Pets require an initial $125 cleaning fee, plus $25 per each night that they will be staying at the hotel.

Traveling with your pets over the holidays and need a pet-safe area to let them play? The Oxgord Portable Pop-Up Pet Play Pen (say that 5 times fast after a bit of holiday cheer!) might be your answer.

Your pets can run around and have fun in a safe and contained environment, while you can keep an eye on them through the mesh screens on the sides and top of the playpen. The fabric pet play pen features a removable bottom and pad, removable mesh top, eight mesh windows, two zippered side doors, and storage compartments for pet toys and supplies. The waterproof material makes cleaning up after your pet easy.

The Oxgord Portable Play Pen is easy to set up and take down, and you can take it on all your trips in the included travel tote. The play pen is 45″ in diameter and 24″ high and comes in four colors. Available at HappyTailsPetShop, PetShopUSA, Overstock.com, Jet.com, and Amazon for $30-$39.

PetravelR™ thinks a portable play pen might come in handy if you and your pet get stuck in an airport with a delayed or cancelled flight. Just pop it open and give your dog or cat some time outside of that cramped carrier while you camp out in the terminal.

Prevent your pets from drinking the tree water. Fertilizers and preservative chemicals in the water can be poisonous to pets. Stagnant water is also a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause vomiting and diarrhea if ingested.

Clean up tree needles frequently. They can be toxic if eaten by your pet.

Don’t use tinsel, ribbons and garland anywhere that pets can access. Cats are particularly attracted to tinsel and may chew on it. If swallowed, tinsel can become lodged in their digestive tract, causing severe vomiting and dehydration, as well as intestinal obstructions requiring emergency surgery.

Hang breakable glass and hard plastic ornaments well out of reach. The small glass and metal fastenings can be stepped on or even swallowed by your pet. Shards of breakable ornaments can damage your pet’s mouth and digestive tract.

Keep lights, wires, extension cords, and batteries safely secured or covered to deter chewing. A wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock, and a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus. Invest in pet-proof extension cords or spray with products such as Bitter Apple or Chew Stop.

Flowers and festive plants can result in an emergency veterinary visit. Mistletoe, holly, lilies, amaryllis, ivy, hibiscus, balsam, pine, and cedar and are among the common holiday plants that can be dangerous and even poisonous to pets who decide to eat them. Mistletoe, especially the berries, is highly toxic, can cause stomach upset, and has the potential to cause fatal heart problems; holly, when ingested, can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; many varieties of lilies can lead to kidney failure in cats if ingested; amaryllis can cause vomiting and diarrhea; certain types of ivy, such as English ivy, can also cause severe harm to pets; hibiscus can cause diarrhea. (Poinsettias, although not as toxic as people often think, can still upset your pet’s digestive system.)

Don’t leave lighted candles unattended (This is a good safety tip, even if you don’t have pets!). The flames and fragrance may be enticing to pets, who may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over. The fumes from some candles can also be harmful to birds.

Potpourris and sachets can be very dangerous and should be kept out of reach of inquisitive pets. Exposure to the essential oils and cationic detergents in liquid potpourris can severely damage your pet’s mouth, eyes and skin and may cause illness or death. Solid potpourris can be toxic if ingested.

Because many people will be flying with their pets this holiday season, PetravelR™ wants to remind* you about the TSA Fast Pass® leash & harness set developed specifically for pets traveling in the airplane passenger cabin.

The step-in design makes it easy to put the harness on your cat or dog and to remove it. The TSA Fast Pass® is metal-free, making airport security inspections quick, easy, and hassle free. Just remove your pet from the carrier and send the carrier through the X-ray machine, while you carry your cat or lead your dog in his/her harness and leash through the metal detectors. The manufacturer guarantees that it will NOT set off any alarms.

Need budget-minded lodging that is pet friendly during your holiday travels? Motel 6might be just what you’re looking for.

The Motel 6 chain permits all well-behaved pets, “unless they pose a health or safety risk or are prohibited by law.” (Some state and local municipalities forbid any pets other than service animals, so check ahead for restrictions.)

There is a limit of two (2) pets per room. Pets stay for free with no additional daily charge or cleaning fee at Motel 6 properties (with the exception of Studio 6 extended-stay locations that have a $10.00 per day pet fee to a maximum of $50.00 per stay).

To ensure a great trip with your furry friend, please adhere to the following guidelines:

Animals that assist the disabled, known as “Service Animals,” are always welcome. Like pets, however, any Service Animal that poses a health or safety risk may not remain onsite.

All pets and Service Animals must be declared at check-in. This is very important because it provides the staff with key information about the occupants of each room.

Please be considerate of other guests when walking pets on the property and clean up after your pet.

In consideration of all guests, pets must be on a leash and attended to when outside a guestroom.

Pets should not be left alone in a room or automobile.

Due to safety concerns for employees and your pet, Motel 6 will not service a room with an unattended pet. All rooms at Motel 6 should be serviced every day to maintain health and cleanliness standards. With extended stays at Studio 6, rooms should be serviced twice per week. If unavoidable circumstances require a pet to remain unattended in a room while the owner is offsite, the pet must either be secured in a crate or travel carrier or you must notify the front desk that your pet is roaming freely in the room and what timeframe housekeeping is permitted to enter the room when the pet will not be present or when the pet is secured.

Here’s a neat item that could come in handy while traveling with your pets this winter – the Snuggle Bed by Chilly Dog.

PetravelR™ thinks the Snuggle Bed is a great idea for small dogs, cats, and other small mammals. Manufactured in Oregon, the Snuggle Bed is available in two different fabrics – plush faux fur and anti-pill polar fleece. The bed has a nylon rod hoop that holds the bed open so your pet can snuggle down on a comfy polyester fiberfill pillow. The hoop will hold its shape and not bend!

The Snuggle Bed is easy to care for:

The Nylon rod comes apart and slips out.

Velcro fasteners open for easy pillow removal

Bed and pillow are machine wash/dry

Snuggle Beds come in three sizes: Small, 24″ x 24″ with a 15.5″ diameter hoop, for pets under 20 pounds and best for short legged dogs; Medium, 27″ x 30″ with a 18.5″ diameter hoop, for pets under 35 pounds, best for small dogs with longer legs; Large, 36″ x 30″ with a 22″ diameter hoop, for pets under 50 pounds. Available from the Chilly Dog Beds Etsy store for $84 to $112.

The holidays can be stressful. Traveling can be stressful. So PetravelR™ wants to remind you that holiday travel can really stress out your pet.

Here are some helpful tips from petMD for traveling with your pet this holiday season (or anytime, for that matter) -

Leaving the familiarity of home can provoke anxiety in people and animals. If you are traveling by car, be sure to bring along some of your pet’s favorite toys, a blanket or pillow bed, and his regular food. If your pet is used to sleeping in a crate, bring it along so he can sleep in his familiar space.

We advise keeping pets in a travel safe crate so that the animal is not able to move freely though the car. This covers a few bases. Keeping animals in travel crates prevents them from getting underfoot or on your lap while you are driving — an obvious hazard — it prevents them from being thrown from the car should an accident occur, and it prevents them from getting free/running away during rest stops or after minor accidents have occurred. We can tell you that these unhappy events do occur and are reported in the news frequently enough to make them worth noting. If you cannot fit a crate into your car, you can use a pet approved safety belt/harness to keep your pet in her seat, where she belongs.

On that note, make sure your pet is wearing identification at all times, and pack an emergency first aid kit for pets in case of an emergency. And don’t forget to take frequent breaks to allow for rest and relief.

If you’re heading to New York City for some shopping or to take in the amazing Radio City holiday show, the Affinia Hotel in midtown Manhattan is pet-friendly!

Affinia’s VIPaws pet program will welcome your guest of honor with treats, a walk and plenty of pampering, so your four-legged traveling companion will be as comfortable as you are. Their curated VIPaws program pet-friendly hotel program is designed to accommodate your pet’s every need. You’ll get necessities to keep him or her comfortable and content, plus everything you need to go exploring. The program also includes a $10 donation to the Humane Society.

The Catnip Toy Christmas Sugar Cookie Gift Set is handmade of the finest American merino wool blend felt and certified organic catnip. Three catnip filled sugar cookie toys are packaged for giving in a cute pinstriped box tied up with a ribbon for an easy hostess gift or stocking stuffer!